Conjoined boys separated at Dallas hospital DALLAS (AP) — The mother of twins successfully separated after being born joined at the chest says she's looking forward to holding the babies she once thought had no chance of survival. "I'm just so happy that they're here and they're alive and thriving. It's the best feeling in the world," Jenni Ezell said Thursday during a news conference at Medical City Children's Hospital in Dallas, where she was joined by husband Dave and a doctor. Owen ...

Safety inspection blitz of oil shipments launched WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal inspection teams have been conducting spot safety checks of rail shipments of crude oil from the booming Bakken oil region in Great Plains states in response to last month's rail disaster in Canada, U.S. officials said Thursday. The official name of the inspections is "Operation Classification," although Cynthia Quarterman, head of the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, said she prefers to call th...

Police: NYC woman offers stamps to pay for murder NEW YORK (AP) — New York City police say they've arrested a woman after she offered an undercover officer a $60,000 stamp collection to kill her husband. Police said Elena Adams was arrested Thursday and charged with conspiracy and criminal solicitation. They say the 57-year-old met with an undercover officer inside a car in the Sheepshead Bay neighborhood of Brooklyn to discuss the murder-for-hire plot. Police said Adams told the officer her ...

Liberace's one-time Vegas mansion sells for $500K LAS VEGAS (AP) — A 15,000-square-foot Las Vegas mansion once owned by Liberace was sold for $500,000 in cash to a British businessman who said he learned to play the piano after being inspired by the flamboyant performer. The buyer — Martyn Ravenhill — closed the deal on Aug. 23 for $29,000 below its list price and about $3 million less than it was sold for seven years ago. "I grew up thinking Liberace was wonderful," Ravenhill told the Britis...

US readies possible solo action against Syria WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Thursday prepared for the possibility of launching unilateral American military action against Syria within days as Britain opted out in a stunning vote by Parliament. Facing skepticism at home, too, the administration shared intelligence with lawmakers aimed at convincing them the Syrian government used chemical weapons against its people and must be punished. Despite roadblocks in forming an intern...

Man says he killed wife to end her cancer pain LONDON, Ky. (AP) — A southeastern Kentucky man charged with killing his wife says he fatally shot her because she asked him to end her suffering from breast cancer. Ernest Chris Chumbley told WKYT-TV he fired the shots that killed 44-year-old Virginia M. Chumbley of London — and he said he would have expected her to do the same for him. He told WLEX-TV he loved his wife. The Laurel County sheriff's office says Ernest Chumbley called about 2:30...

Obama: Syrian government carried out chemical attack WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama on Wednesday declared unequivocally that the United States has "concluded" that the Syrian government carried out a deadly chemical weapons attack on civilians. Yet U.S. intelligence officials say questions remain about whether the attack could be linked to Syrian President Bashar Assad or high officials in his government. Obama did not present any direct evidence to back up his assertion that the Syria...

8 years after Katrina, New Orleans on the rebound NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Eight years after Hurricane Katrina, the Ferris wheel at the former Six Flags amusement park in New Orleans sits idle. "Closed for Storm" signs are still posted and the abandoned, weed-choked site remains a thorn in the side of officials leading one of the most extensive city-rebuilding projects in U.S. history. Proposals to revitalize the 150-acre site in New Orleans have ranged from restoring it to a working amusement park...

Scientists find clue to age-related memory loss WASHINGTON (AP) — Scientists have found a compelling clue in the quest to learn what causes age-related memory problems, and to one day be able to tell if those misplaced car keys are just a senior moment or an early warning of something worse. Wednesday's report offers evidence that age-related memory loss really is a distinct condition from pre-Alzheimer's — and offers a hint that what we now consider the normal forgetfulness of old age migh...

MLK's dream inspires a new march, and a president WASHINGTON (AP) — Standing on hallowed ground of the civil rights movement, President Barack Obama challenged new generations Wednesday to seize the cause of racial equality and honor the "glorious patriots" who marched a half century ago to the very steps from which Rev. Martin Luther King spoke during the March on Washington. In a moment rich with history and symbolism, tens of thousands of Americans of all backgrounds and colors thronged to...

US readies rationale for possible Syria strike WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration tried to bolster its case Tuesday for possible military action against Syria within days, with intelligence agencies preparing to release intercepted communications aimed at proving Bashar Assad perpetrated a large-scale chemical weapons attack on civilians. "There's no doubt who is responsible for this heinous use of chemical weapons in Syria: the Syrian regime," Vice President Joe Biden said. The U....

Florida teen dies after being shocked by police MIAMI BEACH, Fla. (AP) — The family of a teenager who died after being shocked with a Taser by Miami Beach police is suing. A lawsuit filed Tuesday claims police violated 18-year-old Israel Hernandez-Llach's civil rights. The suit names the city and Police Chief Ray Martinez as defendants. Hernandez-Llach was a graffiti artist known as "Reefa." Police said they spotted him spray-painting a shuttered fast food restaurant earlier this month. He ...

US consumer confidence rises in August WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans' confidence in the economy inched closer to a 5 ½-year high on growing optimism that hiring and wages could pick up in coming months. The Conference Board, a New York-based private research group, said Tuesday that its consumer confidence index rose to 81.5 in August. That's up from a revised reading of 81 in July. And it's just below the 82.1 reading in June, which was the highest since January 2008. Consumers' inc...

Bail at $3M for 2nd teen in veteran beating case SPOKANE, Wash. (AP) — Bail was set at $3 million Tuesday for a 16-year-old boy who is charged with killing a World War II veteran and contends the man was beaten to death because he shorted the teen and another boy on a sale of crack cocaine. The allegation was sharply rebutted by friends of Delbert Belton, the 88-year-old veteran known as "Shorty." "Shorty never did no drugs," said Ted Denison, a friend who added that the defendants were "sme...

Facebook: Governments demanded data on 38K users WASHINGTON (AP) — Government agents in 74 countries demanded information on about 38,000 Facebook users in the first half of this year, with about half the orders coming from authorities in the United States, the company said Tuesday. The social-networking giant is the latest technology company to release figures on how often governments seek information about its customers. Microsoft and Google have done the same. As with the other companies,...

Mother of slain Ga. baby cross-examined by defense MARIETTA, Ga. (AP) — The mother of a baby who was fatally shot in his stroller in coastal Georgia testified at a man's murder trial Tuesday that she threw her arms across her baby in a bid to save him. Sherry West cried as she told the court what happened as she walked home from the Brunswick post office March 21 with her 13-month-old son, Antonio Santiago. Two teenagers approached her, and the older one demanded money, West testified. De'Marq...

Some school districts quit healthier lunch program After just one year, some schools around the country are dropping out of the healthier new federal lunch program, complaining that so many students turned up their noses at meals packed with whole grains, fruits and vegetables that the cafeterias were losing money. Federal officials say they don't have exact numbers but have seen isolated reports of schools cutting ties with the $11 billion National School Lunch Program, which reimburses schoo...

Huge California wildfire spreads into Yosemite FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A giant wildfire raging out of control spread into Yosemite National Park on Friday as authorities urged more evacuations in nearby communities where thousands have already been forced out by flames marching through the timbered slopes of the western Sierra Nevada. The fire hit the park at the height of summer season, as officials geared up for a busy Labor Day weekend. It has closed some backcountry hiking but was not th...

San Diego mayor agrees to resign SAN DIEGO (AP) — Mayor Bob Filner agreed Friday to resign in return for the city's help defending him against claims he groped, kissed and made lewd comments to women, allegations that shook and embarrassed the city and turned the former 10-term congressman into a national punch line. Filner was regretful and defiant during a City Council meeting as he explained the "the toughest decision of my life." He apologized to his accusers but insisted...

Hagel: US naval forces move closer to Syria ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT OVER THE PACIFIC (AP) — The Pentagon is moving naval forces closer to Syria in preparation for a possible decision by President Barack Obama to order military strikes, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel suggested on Friday. Hagel declined to describe any specific movements of U.S. forces. He said Obama asked that the Pentagon to prepare military options for Syria and that some of those options "requires positioning our fo...